Grading

When dealing in the world of almost any collectible item, Grading or Grade is what helps determine the standard and value of the item being either bought or sold. This stands true when buying or selling bank notes in the market. The higher the grade, the higher the value. The lower the grade, the lower the value. These standard values are true in the world of collectibles and should be one of the first things considered when determining if you are willing to sell or buy notes for your investment portfolio. Of course other important factors also should be considered such as district and series rarity and condition to help establish price, but it almost always comes back to grade as the most important factor when determining value of notes.

You should always try to purchase notes from a reputable individual or dealer, someone who has vast experience in grading notes or has direct affiliation with someone who does. We have seen notes in the market that have received multiple grades because grading is somewhat subjective to the untrained professional. We have even seen notes that were not genuine or authentic, in other words, forgeries. Whenever possible, we suggest that you seek “certified” or “slabbed” notes. This means that a third party, independent currency grading has been performed on a note, eliminating the problem of overgrading, and providing an established high level of confidence that the grade on the note is true and correct. Once the grading on the bank note is performed, the note is then sealed in a protective sleeve or holder that is environmentally safe for storage.

Of course, it is not in everyone’s budget or collecting agenda to only seek out “certified” notes for their portfolio. Some hobbyists may want to begin with simply purchasing uncertified (raw) notes. Because many circulated notes, in middle to lower grades may not necessarily warrant a third party certification, the initial cost of buying raw notes is less expensive and somewhat easier to obtain that certified notes. The draw back is their intrinsic value versus true value can be quite different in the market compared to certified notes. Certified notes have a value that is established or define in comparison. So, purchasing raw notes versus certified notes really comes down to personal choice and preference.

Even though U.S. Rare Money specializes in dealing with certified notes, we have raw notes to fulfill the needs of any of our clientele, whether new to the hobby or a serious investor and collector.